Improvement in folding boats



:.Hl BATES.

FOLDING BOAT.

No. 1895913'. Patented Arprll, l187-7.

- Amasus.

N. PETERS, PNOTWUTHOGRAPMER. WSHNGTON; D C4 UNITED g STATEs PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN E. BATES, 0E NANTrcoKE, PENNSYLVANIA.

`IMPRQVEMENT IN FOLDING BCAT'S.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 189,913, dated April 24,1877; application filed.

- March 12, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BATES, of Nanticoke, in the county ofLuzerne and State of` Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedFolding` Boat, of which the following is a specification Figure 1 is apartial plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line w fw inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line .r w in Fig. l. Fig. 4 isa transverse section on line y y in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transversesection on line z z in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line tc in Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention consists in the arrangementin a boat of a folding bottom,folding ribs, and iiexible sides, and a removable rail, seat, andoar-lock, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing, Ais the bottom of the boat, which consists of two parts,a a, which are hinged together at b, and are provided with transversecleats or bars c c1, secured to their upper surfaces. from wood or othersuitable material, and the joint at the hinges is covered withwater-proof cloth or leather. To each of the cleats c a rib, d ishinged, and at the bow and stern of rthe boat posts c are hinged to thebottom. These posts, and also the ribs d, are arranged to fold inwardtoward the center-line of the boat. The rubber ends of the ribs d areprovided with tenons having slots f, and the hinged ribs d1 at the bowand stern of the boat are provided with plain tenons g. B B are railsthat are each made in two parts, which are hinged together at h. rI heserails are provided with mortses that receive the tenons of the ribs dd', and with hasps fi, that are placed on staples j, that project fromthe inner sides of the posts c, the latter being notched to receive thehasps and also the ends ofthe rails. Hooks 7c are secured to the upperside of the rails B, which engage the slots f in the tenons of the ribsd. C C are posts that are provided with fixed L-shaped hooks l at theirlower ends, and with the jointed hooks m a, ears o, and slot p. Theseposts are secured to the bars c1 by first placing the end of the hook min the staple q, projecting from the said bars,

The bottom may be made.

l and then inserting the hooks lin the staples r, placed at'the end ofthe slots s, formed in the bars c1. Braces t are placed at each side ofthe posts G, and rest in notches in the posts, and are provided withstuds` that enter the holes in the ears o, and at their lower ends theyabut against the cleats u, and are provided with hooks n', that engagethe slotted straps w', that are secured to the cleats u. D is a seatthat is cut away at its ends toreceive the post C and the upper end ofits braces t, and isprovided with a projection, a, that fits into theslot p. The hooks a are inserted in holes made in the hinges of therails B to stii'en and support the rails and to add security to theseat. The rowlocks consist of slotted 'blocks b2, which are attached tothe ends of a rod, c2, which is bent downward or offset to make roomvfor the legs of the oarsman, and is provided with clips d2, which arehooked underthe rail of the boat when the rowlocks are placed inposition on the boat. The rowlock is further secured by the stud c',which engages the slot in the rowlock. The oars are pivoted in a fork,f1, in the usual way, the said fork being pivoted in the rowlock. Acovering, E, of canvas or other dexible water-proof material, isattached to the boat bottom by means of nails o r otherwise, and issecured to the rails at the top of the boat by straps g1, which areengaged by buttons that project from the rails and from the posts at thebow and stern of the boat:

rI he boat thus constructed is light and strong, and is capable of beingquickly taken apart or put together, and when takenapart it may befolded together and packed in small compass. 1

The operation of taking the boat apart consists in removing the rowlockand oars, unfastening the straps g1, disengaging the hooks lc and fn andhasps t', and removing the rails B. The seat D is then removed, thebraces t taken out,'and the posts C removed.. Such parts as can bepacked between the cleats c c1 are placed across the bottom, and theribs d d', posts c, and the canvas covering., are folded in, and theboat is folded together. The boat is put together by reversing theoperation just described.

Having thus described my inventiomclaim boat, substantially as hereinshown and deas new and desire to secure by Letters Patscribed.

ent- 3. The rod c2, slotted blocks b2, and forks l. The combination, ina folding boat, of f2, in combination with the rail B, having the thecentrally-hinged bottom A, having cleats stud e', substantially alsherein shown. and dec c1 u, the hinged ribs d d', posts e, hingedscribed.

rails B and Water-proof covering E, substantally afs herein shown anddescribed. JOHN H BATES' 2. The combination ofthe standard G,vhaivWitnesses 'z ing hooks lm n, slot p, and eers o, braces t, LEWIS (l.GREEN,

seat D, and the bottom and rail of a folding LUTHER CURTIS.

